Category: Editorial & Comment

2009 Provides Plenty of Highlights for NGV Industry

December 18, 2009 – 9:04 am | Source: Brett Jarman - Executive Director, IANGV
Volvo V70 – Welcome back!

CNG Bi-fuel Volvo V70 – Welcome back!

The natural gas industry as a whole has been an arena of exciting developments in 2009, delivering in a raft of areas despite the gloomy economic uncertainty that heralded the year’s start.

How that gloom has impacted upon the NGV industry isn’t clear at this point and won’t be until year-end vehicle numbers are collected. Mixed reports have come to us from industry members with some saying they have thrived, struggling to keep up with demand, while others have struggled just to remain viable.
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Categories: Editorial & Comment, Market Developments, Vehicles, Vehicles & Fuels | Tags: , , , | Comments (1)

Fiat’s Marchionne Muses on a Sustainable Future for the Car Industry

December 8, 2009 – 11:49 pm | Source: The Economist
Sergio Marchionne, CEO

Sergio Marchionne, CEO of Fiat and Chrysler

“Natural gas is the only real, immediate alternative to petrol.”

Sergio Marchionne, CEO of Fiat Group and Chrysler Group, has a vision for a car industry faced with profound economic and environmental issues around the world. Manufacturers and politicians are being compelled to rethink the automotive business model — Marchionne suggests that change must be virtuous, unified and realistic for it to succeed. His musings are reported in the Economist (The World in 2010 print edition), where he encourages adoption of a different approach, one that moves from viewing the automobile as a stand-alone object to one that sees it as a component in a much larger system.
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SCR Equipped Diesels – An Opportunity for NGVs?

August 27, 2009 – 9:20 pm | Source: Alex Lawson - IANGV Technical Chair

Are natural gas vehicles increasing their role as a simpler, more cost competitive, and more elegant solution?

The increasing complexity of diesel engines is creating opportunities for natural gas vehicles

The increasing complexity of diesel engines is creating opportunities for natural gas vehicles

As diesel powered vehicles face increasingly stringent emissions standards of Euro 5/6 in Europe, and EPA 2010 standards in N. America, more complex engine technology and emissions control systems have been adopted. Particulate emissions have been controlled, in the past, with diesel particulate filters (DPF). Now NOx emissions control for the tighter standards frequently requires a combination of advanced engine control, a DPF, and an emissions control system employing selective catalytic reduction (SCR) with a urea solution injected into the exhaust to control NOxemissions. The cost and complexity of the SCR system has raised the question as to whether, in many cases, natural gas vehicles have become a simpler, more cost competitive, and more elegant solution for meeting the stringent emissions standards imposed on light and heavy duty diesel vehicles.
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Categories: Editorial & Comment, Emissions, Technology | Tags: , | Comments (0)

Iranian CNG Revolution Continues – 1.5 Million NGVs and Growing

August 5, 2009 – 11:15 pm | Source: Brett Jarman - IANGV Executive Director
IRAN CNG Conference 2009

IRAN CNG Conference 2009

Despite political uncertainties in Iran, one good news story to come out of the Islamic Republic is the continued success of the country’s extensive natural gas vehicle (NGV) program. Attending last week’s 2nd Conference and Exhibition on CNG and Related Industries provided a valuable opportunity to gain insight into the world’s fastest growing NGV market. As could be expected, the massive growth does present some problems for the industry but, while the scale of the issues might be larger, the problems themselves are not unique to Iran and are not insurmountable. In fact, the national NGV industry is setting new benchmarks that put others on notice. A quick look at some numbers might help set the scene…
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Categories: Country Reports, Editorial & Comment, Event News, Policy | Tags: | Comments (0)

Natural Gas Offers a Niche Solution for HDs in Canada

July 21, 2009 – 10:13 am

The Canadian Natural Gas Vehicle Alliance (CNGVA) has recently published a Commodity Report on the benefits of taking up natural gas as a niche solution for energy and emissions concerns in Canada. The report, which refers to information from the Canadian Energy Research Institute, looks at current opportunities and argues for greater market adoption of heavy natural gas vehicles and an overcoming of legislative restraints – arguments that will be applicable in other countries facing similar issues.


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New Look for NGV Global

July 2, 2009 – 12:45 am

Welcome to the new look NGV Global. The content remains the same – quality news covering the natural gas vehicle industry worldwide – but as well as the cosmetic improvements to make your news easier to read, we’ve also improved the functionality. Faster page loading, leading edge Google custom search facilities, increased categories, ‘tagging’ to make it easier to find related stories and more. We’ve even introduced commenting facilities so you can contribute feedback to stories and editorials right here on the site.
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Categories: Association News, Editorial & Comment | Comments (2)

EU Energy & Climate Package – Comment and Analysis

February 11, 2009 – 2:00 pm

Comment and Analysis by Jeffrey Seisler, CEO, Clean Fuels Consulting, in collaboration with Kevin Leydon Associates (Brussels). First published in Fleets and Fuels Magazine.

The wide-ranging Climate and Energy package adopted by the European Parliament on 17 December 2008, is an ambitious attempt to lay out a comprehensive, long-term plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 levels by 20%, to have 20% of the EU’s total consumption made up of renewable energy and to achieve 20% saving through energy efficiency by 2020.  The ‘package,’ a collection of six Directives, affects all energy sectors.


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Harmonization of International NGV Standards

November 11, 2008 – 1:29 pm

One of the most important activities undertaken by IANGV in recent years has been the promotion of the harmonization of international standards for the natural gas vehicle (NGV) industry.

Global bodies such as United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) are working actively  towards harmonization of standards. This is because the cost of non-harmonized standards is a considerable burden on various industries including the NGV industry. For NGVs, this is particularly a problem at the moment due to the differences  between UNECE Regulation 110* and ISO Standards 15500 (Fuel System Components)  and 15501 Road Vehicles – Compressed Natural Gas Fueling Systems, which deal with the equipment and installation of CNG in vehicles.*


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European Energy & Environment Policy Activity Leading up to 2009 Elections

October 1, 2008 – 2:00 pm

Report and Analysis by Jeffrey Seisler, CEO, Clean Fuels Consulting, in collaboration with Kevin Leydon Associates. Exclusively for NGV Global

The debate on proposals for new energy and environment policies are coming to a head as the European Union prepares to turn its focus in the New Year to Parliamentary elections by mid-2009.  European Commission initiatives proposed as early as March 2007 are being adopted by Parliament and will tend to lay out the coming years’ roadmap for renewable fuel sources (including liquid and gaseous biofuels), for the European car industry related to CO2 reductions, and hydrogen vehicle and fuelling station development.  The flurry of intense activity is scheduled to go through December 2008.  Those directives that are finalized then enter the implementation phase.  Those that are not finalized or successfully negotiated to their conclusion either at the end of the year or beginning of 2009 could languish until a new Parliament is chosen.  The ‘battle lines’ on issues is complex:


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Rethinking Sustainability and the Biofuels Policy

September 3, 2008 – 5:48 am

The following comment item was first published in European Voice Magazine in May of this year.

Liquid biofuels – ethanol and ‘biodiesel’ – have captured the worldwide and European fascination as renewable energy for the transport sector but the tide seems to be turning now that people are realizing the inherent challenges of leaping into a liquid biofuels policy in the absence of adequate consideration of the down-stream results. 

Faced with questions about the impacts on food chain products and prices, changes in land use and deforestation at the hands of liquid biofuels producers, the European Parliament, in the Fuel Quality Directive and the Renewable Resource Directive, is now struggling with a hard reality of the March 2007 EU policy to replace 10% of transport sector petroleum with renewable biofuels by 2020:  Can there be a legislative definition of ‘sustainable’ biofuels: a distinction between ‘good’ renewable  biofuels and those that have negative environmental effects and higher social costs than ordinary petrol and diesel?  If not, the next question is, can the 10% renewable challenge be fulfilled without getting into the cloudy issue of sustainability?  The answer to the first question is, “Probably not.”  The answer to the second question is, “Definitely, yes,” but a change of focus is required.


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Forklift Trucks – A Niche Success for Natural Gas

August 27, 2008 – 6:10 am

Alicia MilnerAlicia Milner is the President of the Canadian Natural Gas Vehicle Alliance and a Vice President of IANGV. Here she outlines the factors responsible for the success of natural gas forklifts, using the Ontario market as an example.

Natural gas is a versatile low carbon fuel. The rapid growth in use of natural gas for transportation is a global success story that is increasingly attracting the attention of governments, the automotive industry, and the media. Data indicates that 85% of the 8.7 million natural gas vehicles in use today are light duty passenger vehicles, and that natural gas is increasingly being used for niche vehicles. Forklift trucks are an excellent example of niche vehicle success for natural gas.


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140 Dollar Per Barrel Oil

July 16, 2008 – 5:00 am

I have written about the high price of oil in previous articles for NGV Global.  Back in Sept 2005, the article discussed oil at $65 per barrel.  Then in Oct 2007, it was $80 per barrel.  John Lyon (IANGV Immediate Past President), spoke about oil at $100 per barrel during the ANGVA conference in Thailand last year. What a great change has now occurred – oil is now $140+ per barrel.


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T. Boone Pickens Proposes Renewable Energy Plan for America

July 11, 2008 – 4:56 am

USA

This item was first published in the Wall St Journal

My Plan to Escape the Grip of Foreign Oil

One of the benefits of being around a long time is that you get to know a lot about certain things.  I’m 80 years old and I’ve been an oilman for almost 60 years.  I’ve drilled more dry holes and also found more oil than just about anyone in the industry.  With all my experience, I’ve never been as worried about our energy security as I am now.  Like many of us, I ignored what was happening.  Now our country faces what I believe is the most serious situation since World War II. The problem, of course, is our growing dependence on foreign oil – it’s extreme, it’s dangerous, and it threatens the future of our nation.


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Wise Move for Gazprom – NGV Plans Set Strategic Example

July 9, 2008 – 12:00 am

Russian gas giant Gazprom, recently signalled its intention to work with partners to establish a European compressed natural gas refuelling network. John Baldwin, MD of UK based CNG Services Ltd, offers an analysis of conditions, demonstrating that gas companies would do well to get on board with the proposed European network.

Gazprom is a very large company with huge financial and gas resources, a considerable amount of which are supplied to European gas utility customers.  With CO2 concerns from its major EU customers indicating a medium term drop in demand for gas to make electricity and for heating, it makes strategic sense for Gazprom to hedge gas sales by growing the transport sector.


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Clean Fuels News From Brussels – Part 1

March 13, 2008 – 7:00 pm

Energy and Climate are Hot: NGVs are Not … but they could be!

Welcome to the first of a four part discussion on legislative and regulatory initiatives being undertaken by European Union policy makers, written especially for NGV Global.

PART 1

Energy and environment legislative and regulatory initiatives are among the most important ‘front page’ issues being tabled in Brussels in the opening months of 2008.  Some initiatives, like the ‘Energy and Climate Package’ launched on 23 January 2008 are newly emerging.  But there are a host of other initiatives carried over from 2007 that will continue to be debated throughout the year and likely longer.   While energy and climate are (in policy terms) ‘hot’, NGVs are not; but they might be if a credible campaign to get back on the political agenda becomes an industry priority.  The strategy must include focusing not only on the European Commission and European Parliament, but also on specific environmental NGOs (non-governmental organisations) and, of course, the natural gas industry itself.


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